Abstract
Background: Specific immunotherapy for bronchial asthma has been documented to be efficacious in several studies; however, it is not known whether this efficacy is sustained for several years after cessation of immunotherapy. The aim of this study is to determine the efficacy of house dust mite immunotherapy over a 15-year period.
Methods: This study is an open, parallel, comparative trial in which 31 patients were administered immunotherapy for 5 years and then followed-up for a further 10 years. Their global symptom scores and FEV1 values were compared with another group of 38 patients who refused immunotherapy.
Results: The use of immunotherapy resulted in a statistically significant improvement in both global symptom scores and FEV1 in patients receiving immunotherapy when compared with those in the control group who did not receive immunotherapy. This improvement was sustained for at least 10 years after cessation of immunotherapy.
Conclusions: The benefits of house dust mite immunotherapy are significant and sustained, a decade after its discontinuation.
